Closed-conduit electric railway.



No. @67,904 Patented Feb. I2, |901.

- L. DION. CLOSED CONDUIT ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

(Appliuation led A ug. 6, 1900.)

(No Morini.)

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Critico.-

ilrrrrn LEON DION, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRICAL SAFETY TRACTION COMPANY, OF WEST VIRGINIA.

iCLOSEDmCONDUIT ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

.SPEGEFIUATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 667,904, dated February 12, 1901; Application led August 6, 1900. Serial N o. 2 5 ,975. (No model.)

T @ZZ wil/0m Y? 71ml/ @Ofwel/wf the conduit is traversed at intervals by a Be it known that l, LON DION, of Boston, number of hollow studs 5 5 of an inverted-cup in the county of Suffolk and State of Massashape, as represented in Fig. Ll., having their chusetts, have invented certain new and useupper ends projecting a slight distance above 5 ful Improvements in Closed-Conduit Electric the surface of the roadway. 'Fliese studs col- Railways, of which the following is a speciiilectively form a surface conductor composed cation. of insulated sections. This invention relates to electric-railway 6 is a conductor located within the conduit systems employing a surface conductor coml and composed of a continuous iiexible strip io posed of a number of insulated sections, a of metal which liesloosely within theconduit, closed conduit, and a flexible conductor' conso as to be capable of being elevated at intertained within said conduit and adapted to be vals by magnetic attraction. The conductor lifted into contact with the surface conducl5 extends through the lowerends of the studs tor by the attraction of a magnet carried by 5 and normally rests upon blocks 7 of insuv 65 i5 the car. lating material fitted within the studs and The present invention involves the use of a having the shape represented in Fig. 3. The series of members subject to magnetic attracconductor 6 is provided within each of the tion and located at intervals along the Hexistuds 5 with an armature member 8, which, ble conductor, whereby said conductor is eleas shown in Fig. l, consists of a plate riveted 7o zo vated at intervals into contact with the surto the upper end of a loop u, formed by bendface conductor by the passage of a car. One ing the conductor 6. The member 8 is made of the objects of such a construction is to of a suitable magnetic material, such as soft permit the closed conduitand the liexible coniron, while the conductor 6 may be made of ductor to be located at a considerable distance the same metal or a non-magnetic metal, such z5 below the surface of the roadway, its magas copper.

net-ic or armature portions extending up- Fig. 6 represents a modification in which wardly a sufficient distance toward the surthe armature member or plate 8 is attached face of the roadway to be attracted by the to the upper end of a stem l0, made of any n car-magnet when the latter passes. suitable material and secured to the con- 8o 3,0 Of the accompanying drawings, Figure l ductor 6. Fig. 5 represents another modiiii represents a longitudinal section showing a cation, showing a conductor 6, made of magportion of an electric railway constructed in netic material, such as soft iron, bent at inaccordance with myinvention, together with tervals to form loops l1, the upper ends of the car-magnet. Fig. 2 represents a transwhich act as the armature members, whereby 85 35 verse section of the roadway. Figs. 3 to G, the conductor is elevated at intervals by the inclusive, represent detail perspective views, magnet on the car. hereinafter referred to. Fig. 7 represents a l2 represents the magnet carried by the car longitudinal section showing a modified form and adapted to attract the armature memof construction. Fig. 8 represents a perspecbers of the conductor and lift the conductor 9o 4o tive view showing a modification in the conat intervals as the car passes along.

duit structure. 13 represents the contact-shoe carried by The same reference characters indicate the the car and located in suitable proximity to same parts in all the figures. the magnet l2, said Shoe being adapted to Referring to the drawings, l designates a make contact with a plurality of the studs 5 95 45 closed conduit, the top and bottom walls 2 3 at the same time. As the magnet l2 passes of which and preferably also the side walls over each of the studs it attracts the armaare made of a suitable insulating constructure member 8 within said stud and lifts the tion material, such as wood. The conduit is conductor 6 into contact with the lower end covered over with an insulating roadway maof the stud, the contact taking place between roo 5o terial e, such as concrete or asphalt. In the the points le l5 on the stud and conductor.

form shown in Fig. l the material 4 covering The insulating-block 7 is so shaped as to prevent contact at other points or when the conductor is depressed in its normal position. It will be observed that this construction permits the main body of the conductor 6 to be located at any desired distance below the surface of the roadway, while its armature members project upwardly within attracting distance of the car-magnet.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7 the upper ends of the studs `are extended and joined together by plates 16 16, which form a nearly-continuous contact-surface and insure a smooth runway for the contact-shoe 13.

I do not herein claim a surface conductor located below the surface of the roadway and having a series of contact-studs projecting above the roadway-surface, nor do I claim a magnet carried by the car and inclosed in a casing at the lower end of which is a collectingshoe, as represented in Fig. 1, these constructions being claimed, respectively, in two copending applications, serially numbered 707,859 and 707,857, filed by me March 6,1899.

lt is obvious that, although not herein illustrated, a suitable feeder or feeders may be employed, after the ordinary manner, in connection with the conductor 6.

I prefer to make the surface conductor of any suitable metal or alloy which is not subject to magnetic attraction--such, for example, as manganese-steel.

I do not limit myself 'to the details of construction here shown and may variously modify the same Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Fig. 8 represents a modified form of conduit structure in which three walls of the closed conduit are formed by the sides o f a groove 19, cut in a wooden beam 17, the top wall being formed by the surface conductor, which is made up of insulated -plates 18, having the hollow studs 5 formed on them and projecting Vupwardly therefrom.

I claim- 1. In an electric railway a closed' conduit ehaving a surface conductor comprising inverted-cup-shaped sections insulated from each other.

2. In an electric railway a closed conduit having a surface conductor comprising inverted-cup-shaped sections insulated from each other and composed of metal not subject to magnetic attraction.

3. In an electric railway,

a surface conductor composed of insulated sections, and a movable conductor contained within the conduit and consisting of a flexible strip of metal subject to magnetic attraction,

a closed conduit,

bent at intervals to form raised portions which act as armatures to the car-magnet, whereby the movable conductor is elevated at inter'- vals into contact with the surface conductor by the passage of the car.

4. In an electric railway, a closed conduit having a series of pockets in its upper wall, with conductive upper ends constituting a surface conductor, a conductor contained within the conduit and having raised movable armature members in said pockets, and provisions for effecting connection between the surface conductor and the conduit-conductor by the elevation of said armature members due to the attraction of the car-magnet. 5. In an electric railway, a closed conduit located below the surface of the roadway and covered over with insulating material, a surface conductor consisting of insulated sections and having hollow conductive portions which extend through the said conduit-covering insulating material to the interior of the conduit, and a flexible conductor contained within the conduit and having a series of members arranged at intervals above the main body of the conductor, within said hollow portions, and composed of -met-al subject to magnetic attraction, said members acting as armatures to the car-magnet, whereby the iiexible conductor is elevated at intervals into contact with the lower ends of the hollow portions of the surface conductor. Y

6. In an electric railway, a closed conduit, a surface conductor composed of insulated sections, and a flexible conductor contained within the conduit and having a series of raised members projecting above the conduit and adapted to conduct electricity from the flexible conductor to the car-motor.

7. In an electric railway, a closed conduit, a surface conductor composed of insulated sections, and a exibie conductor contained within the conduit and having a series of raised members projecting above the conduit and adapted to conduct electricity from the ieXible conductor to the car-motor, the said closed conduit having a series of pocket-s which receive the raised members of the dexible conductor and have conductive upper ends constituting sectional surface conductors.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEON Dion.

Witnesses:

C. F. BROWN, E. BATOHELDER.

IOO 

